Date: October 21–22, 2026 

CAPE: Alex Beauvais, Kimberly Dorion, Marilyn Gagné, Clare Gallant, Élianne Gauthier, Francie Gow, Daniela Guglietta, Anaïs Haynes, Antoine Hersberger, Amy Leroux, Mélanie Roy, Valérie Roy and Wayne Thompson 

Employer: Nadia Desmeules, Negotiator (Treasury Board); Stéphanie Marchand, Analyst (Treasury Board); Dominique Martin, Collective Bargaining Coordinator (Treasury Board); Julie Poirier, Director – French Translation Sector (Translation Bureau); Chantal Reid, Director — Resources Management (Translation Bureau); Cléothilde Lefebvre-Bergeron, Deputy Director — Government Interpretation Services (Translation Bureau); Annie-Michèle Bourgeois, Senior Advisor — Labour Relations (PSPC/Translation Bureau) 

What Happened on Day 1 

History was made on October 21 as TR negotiations began in an open bargaining format for the first time in the federal public service. Despite a delayed start, nearly 30 TRs and ECs showed up in person, with more than 40 others joining virtually.   

Three employer representatives from the Translation Bureau were set to attend the start of TR bargaining in person. After we defended our right to open and transparent negotiations, they pulled out at the last minute to attend online—joining over Zoom from a physical office in the National Capital Region, some of them with their camera off for the whole session. We don’t understand why these senior managers were so afraid to meet their own employees face to face on equal ground.  

What We Tabled 

We tabled proposals that came straight from all of you. They aimed at protecting our health and safety, working conditions, professional integrity, and rights, including: 

  • Health and safety: Stronger protections against hearing damage and other workplace injuries for interpreters, and measures to prevent harm. 
  • New technologies and AI: Ensuring you have a say in how new technologies, including artificial intelligence, are introduced and used in your work. 
  • Telework protections: Protecting you from having your telework arrangements revoked and being forced back into the office. 
  • Workload and professional integrity: Stronger protections against overwork and the ability of translators, interpreters, and terminologists to uphold the professional standards and integrity of our work. 

Together, these proposals aim to protect our health, strengthen our control over our working conditions, and defend the expertise and professional judgment at the heart of our work. 

What the Employer Tabled 

At a time when our unionized colleagues continue to suffer workplace injuries, including on the very day negotiations began, the employer presented no occupational health and safety (OHS) proposals whatsoever. The Treasury Board and Translation Bureau’s proposal package failed to address TRs’ specific working conditions and urgent needs, and overwhelmingly focused on management’s interests. The employer tabled several proposals that threaten members’ leave provisions, pay protections, and union rights, including: 

  • Leave without pay: making unpaid leave for the care of family (21.09) at the “discretion” of the employer and requiring eight weeks’ notice for leave for personal needs (21.11) and leave for relocation of spouse or common-law partner (21.12) requests. 
  • Leave with pay for family-related responsibilities (21.13): establishing an obligation for TRs to make “reasonable efforts” to book appointments outside of working hours. 
  • Participation in bargaining: Limiting participation to a “reasonable number” of employees (10.05). 
  • Union representation: Limiting TRs to just one union representative when filing a grievance (30.17). 

If we allow these dangerous concessions at the table, the employer would reduce access to necessary leave provisions and to union support and weaken our ability to exercise our collective rights. They also follow the employer’s refusal to grant union leave to multiple members seeking to attend open bargaining. 

What Happened on Day 2 

On October 22, the parties met again to continue open bargaining. Once again, the employer only attended online and some of them had their cameras off. We pressed the employer for answers about its proposals. They failed to ask a single question about several of our major, forward-looking proposals addressing health and safety, telework, technological changes and AI, professional integrity, and workload. These are not minor or peripheral issues. They go to the heart of our working conditions, our professional responsibilities, and the future of our professions. The employer’s silence speaks volumes. We documented the employer’s questions and will respond at our next session. 

Open bargaining demands transparency and genuine engagement. We will keep showing up in force and encourage all of our coworkers to come participate. You and everyone you work with has valuable knowledge to bring to the table.  

Read the Full Proposal Packages  

Next Steps

Stay informed. Speak to your coworkers. Get involved. Open bargaining is only as powerful as the solidarity behind it. The employer needs to see that TRs are united, engaged, and prepared to defend and improve our rights. Stay tuned for the registration form for the next bargaining session. Dates have not been set; we have indicated to Treasury Board and the Translation Bureau that we are ready to meet as soon as the end of November.  

And the most powerful way to get involved? Contacting your Organizing Committee. This is the only way each of us can build strength for our bargaining.  

Our strength at the table depends on our strength together.